


Seconds to Chance

by OT7nightmares



Category: Dreamcatcher (Korea Band)
Genre: F/F
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-03
Updated: 2020-01-03
Packaged: 2021-02-27 07:01:45
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 11
Words: 13,977
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22103008
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/OT7nightmares/pseuds/OT7nightmares
Summary: She knows she should've said something to her when she last saw her, but after everything...she just couldn't do it. Now, staring at death...she should've.
Relationships: Lee Siyeon/OC
Kudos: 11





	1. Chapter 1

The streets of Seattle are devoid of people, save one woman who quickly walks back to her apartment. She’s one of the few people still out this late at night. Lifting her hand, she checks her watch. _I shouldn’t have stayed late to finish the interview article!_ She tries to pick up her pace, only for the high heels on her feet to prevent her pace from increasing. Huffing, she resumes the quickest stride she can manage without putting so much strain on her feet. It doesn’t take long for her to reach her apartment just outside the city center. It’s far enough away that she doesn’t have to worry too much about tourists, but close enough that she can walk to work.

Light illuminates the room as she hits the light switch. Tossing her coat and purse on the couch, she goes to the kitchen, intent on getting a small glass of wine. She sighs, keeping her eyes closed for a few seconds longer. Having lived in the apartment for several years, she could get around the place with her eyes closed. So, when she hits something, her eyes snap open, only to see a figure wearing all black. Before she can run, the figure seizes her arms, speaking to her.

“You thought we wouldn’t find you?” a masculine voice says.

“W-What do you want?” she asks. “I’ve got like twenty dollars in my wallet and two hundred under my mattress.”

The man scoffs. “Like I care about your money,” he grabs the back of her head, dragging her to the island in her kitchen. She tries to fight back, attempting to kick and punch, but the man is much stronger than her. Her attempt is futile as she feels the man wrap something around her neck. “You should be glad I’m the one killing you. I prefer quick and relatively painless.” His words send panic up the woman’s spine. She opens her mouth to scream, but the rope is tightened, choking her. Coughs escape her mouth, but they subside as she feels her body grow sluggish and her vision grows darker. With the last bit of strength she can summon, she opens the drawer of the island, hand searching for something sharp. She feels the cut but does nothing for it as she swings the knife back. The man cries out. “You little bitch!” His hold on the rope tightens, fully sending the girl out. One last thought filters through her mind. _I should’ve talked to her._

The man relaxes, checking the woman’s pulse. Feeling none, he pulls the rope free, tying it into a noose before staging the woman’s death. Once done, he takes the knife with him, removing all evidence from the scene. The man walks out the back door to an alley and climbs into the back of a sleek black Mercedes. Inside, the driver puts the car into gear and drives away. The only other occupant, a man with a bald head, glances at the other man. “It’s done?”

“Staged as planned,” the murderer replies, smirking.

The bald man presents the other with an envelope. “Here’s what was promised.”

The car leaves the scene and is gone hours before anyone notices the dead body that was left behind. When it is found, police are called to the location for a hanging and after collecting what evidence they can, the police deem the death a suicide and close the case. Close friends of the deceased try to insist that their friend would never do such a thing, but in the eyes of the law…it was a suicide and unfortunately, nothing can be done.

Days later, the body is released to the woman’s brother and cremated as she had wished. The ashes are put in an urn and kept by her brother while he grieves the loss of his last immediate family. He decides to move back to his hometown to be with their distant family in the hopes that he’ll be able to move on. It takes him over a week to adjust to not having his sister to call, but he manages, even running into an old friend of his sister’s. The two grieve over the loss, never forgetting the woman they both cared about.


	2. Chapter 2

Several days ago, the woman was happily spending her time at the festival K-Con in Los Angeles, all expenses paid by her news company in exchange for her covering the events that were planned. She was able to have all-access due to the press pass with her name on it. The pass hung loosely from her neck; name spelled out ‘Kang Soo-Min’ with ‘Sunny’ written above it. She’s spent all three days at K-Con, seeing the concerts, fan interactions, enjoy the different foods she hasn’t had since she moved from Seoul to Seattle, and even a few drinks.

The last day of the event is always the craziest. Fans use it as the last chance to see whoever they came to see and experience the last concert. Soo-Min spends the entire day taking pictures and getting comments from fans about the experience. As she roams, she sees the Korean idols perform in their space on the convention floor. She smiles at the interactions, not noticing her walk has taken her to the one group she’s tried to avoid. That group is Dreamcatcher.

_I love Dreamcatcher’s music and their concept, but I haven’t talked to Shi in years. Does she still remember me?_ Soo-Min looks at the idols from outside the fan circle. She smiles when she sees the crowd do various poses when one of the idols comes over to film. Her eyes drift over to her former best friend, watching the slightly older girl dance around with Yoohyeon. Taking a few photos for her article, and maybe some for herself, she keeps it up through the selfie music video, getting some good shots of the idols. _I’ll have to send these to Tae, let him see how Shi’s doing now._ Soo-Min turns away, catching the brief gaze of the only Chinese member of the group. She nods her head in place of a bow to the idol before quickly leaving, not noticing Handong point Soo-Min out to Siyeon and Yoohyeon, who stand next to the her. Yoohyeon pulls the older Korean back when she tries to go after the woman who looks like her best friend.

Meanwhile, Soo-Min turns off her camera for a while, deciding to go to the long row of food vendors outside of the convention center. She stuffs her face with the hope that she’ll stop the urge to go talk to Siyeon. With her press pass, she could easily go backstage and talk to the idol, but she decides against it. Just after finishing her food, her watch vibrates with a call. Pulling her phone free, she swipes the green phone button.

“Tae!” She yells in greeting.

“What’s up, Sun? How’s K-Con?” the voice asks on the phone.

Smiling, Soo-Min walks to a quieter area, not that there’s much to choose from. “It’s good! Wish you could’ve came with me,” she replies to her older brother’s questions.

“Sorry, Sun,” Tae replies. “I tried to get off of work, but you know how it is with places like this.”

“It’s okay, Tae. I’m glad you found somewhere you like.”

Silence settles over the phone before Tae asks the question that’s been on his mind. “Did you see Siyeon?”

Soo-Min frowns. “Yeah. She was performing at their little meet and greet with Dreamcatcher.”

“You didn’t talk to her, did you,” he says it as a statement.

Hearing the disappointment in his tone, Soo-Min snaps at him. “No! I told you before…I fucked up when I stopped talking to her. Just leave it alone, Tae. I’m sick of you always asking if I’m ready to talk to Shi again. Well, I won’t. She’ll never forgive me for being so distant even though we promised to keep in touch. News flash, Tae, I broke our promise so just leave me alone.” Without giving her brother a chance to reply, she hangs up the call and puts her phone on airplane mode. Tears prick at the corners of her vision. She sniffles, wiping the unshed tears away. _I told him before… Shi and I are better off not talking. After all this time, my feelings haven’t changed so going back now would just make it that much harder to being around her when she doesn’t feel the same._

The rest of the event isn’t as fun as it was for Soo-Min. She takes a few photos, but mostly just walks around, looking at what clothing she can buy. It isn’t until the event starts closing down that Soo-Min leaves out the press entrance to go to her car. She turns her phone’s service back on, glancing at the three missed calls from Tae and several texts. Typing out a reply, she walks out the double doors to the small parking garage area. _Sorry for snapping. Just leave it be, Tae._ She looks up just as she hears a muffled shout.

Soo-Min’s eyes widen. She sees two familiar figures struggling against two other guys in all black. The lower half of their faces are hidden by masks, but the way they’re holding the two idols, Soo-Min has an idea of what’s happening. She pulls the mace from her camera bag and the little metal ball weapon her dad made her before he died. With both in hand, she sneaks up behind one of the guys. Once within spraying distance, she yells. “Let them go!”

“Shit!” One of them grumbles, shoving Sua to the ground as he turns to Soo-Min. “Just walk away, bitch.”

Without giving the guy a chance to react, she sprays the pepper mixture at the man, hitting him right in the eyes. He yells in pain, trying to wipe the spray away. With him occupied, the other one lets go of Handong to attack Soo-Min. He knocks the pepper spray from her hand, slamming his fist into her abdomen. Looking up, she sees him turn back towards Sua and Handong. Standing with all the effort she can, she swings the little metal ball at him, surprising him with a hit to the face. It isn’t enough to hurt, but it creates enough distraction for Sua, who grabbed the pepper spray, to shoot it at the guy. He stumbles back, tripping over the other guy.

“Let’s go!” Sua shouts, helping Handong to get Soo-Min standing. They run back to the doors that go inside the press entrance with the keycard attached to Soo-Min’s press pass. The door clicks shut behind them, mechanism locking back.

Sucking in deep breaths, Soo-Min leans against the wall, heart pounding. She looks up at Handong when the Chinese girl speaks up in English. “Thank you.”

Having learned Korean from her mother before she died, Soo-Min replies in a language the trio can effectively communicate in. ” **Are you both alright**?”

Surprised at the fluent Korean, Sua cuts in. “ **We are, but who are you?”**

Soo-Min straightens up. “ **I’m Soo-Min** ,” she replies, pulling her press pass to view. “ **I live and work in Seattle but was sent here to cover the convention for work.** ” Her eyes widen, hands quickly moving back and forth. “ **But don’t worry. This won’t be written about. I wouldn’t do that to Shi**.” Upon realizing what she said, Soo-Min’s eyes widen.

Sua’s eyes narrow at the other woman. “ **Shi? As in Siyeon? Why do you talk about her like you know her**?”

Handong speaks up, calming her unnie. “ **Are you perhaps…Kang Soo-Min?** ” Surprised at hearing her full name, the mentioned woman nods. Handong turns to Sua. “ **This is Soo-Min-unnie. She’s the childhood friend Siyeon-unnie told us about.** ” She looks to Soo-Min with a smile. “ **Siyeon-unnie mentions you often. She told us on the flight that she hoped you moved to Los Angeles, but she didn’t know where you were here…if you were still in the US**.”

Looking down, Soo-Min fights tears. She quickly wipes the away, avoiding the two idols’ curious gazes. “Sorry. **I should get going. Will you two be okay getting back to your dressing room**?”

Sua wants to stop the woman, but Handong speaks up first with a smile. “ **Thank you for helping us**.” Her smile drops to a frown. “ **We weren’t able to call for help.** ”

Nodding, Soo-Min bows to the two, feeling discomfort in her abdomen from the previous hit to it. “ **I wish your group success. Nice meeting you**.” She walks down the hall, peeking out of the door to see the two guys are gone. Once opening the door, she glances around once more. _Good._ She walks out, going to her car. Once inside, she lets her tears fall. _Should I have stayed to see Shi?_ Sniffling, she starts the car and drives away as tears trace her cheeks. _No. You told Tae why you couldn’t face her. You’re just a coward, Sunny._


	3. Chapter 3

If the blinding white light wasn’t enough, the feeling of weightlessness sends Soo-Min to jolt awake, eyes darting around in confusion. She tries to reach out for something to grab hold of, but her hand meets empty air. As she flails, struggling to stop her body from floating around, a voice speaks from behind her.

“Relax. You’ll right yourself if you stop panicking,” the voice says, tone commanding.

Doing as she’s told, Soo-Min closes her eyes, feeling comfort in the somewhat familiar voice. She takes several calming breaths, letting her body relax. As she does all this, her body does indeed right itself. She opens her eyes to find she’s still floating, but she’s floating in one place. The voice that spoke to her belongs to a man who now stands in front of her. Eyes widen at recognizing the face.

“Dad?” Soo-Min questions, staring at the man who helped raise her.

Shaking his head, the man frowns. “I am the Ruler of where you are now,” he says. “Your father and mother have already gone through this process.”

Soo-Min’s eyes widen. “Wait, I’m dead?!”

The man nods. “In order for you to move on, I do not discuss the method in which you died. If only causes the human soul to want to remain and exact revenge.” He pauses, waving his hand so that two doors appear on either side of him. The one on the left is red with black trim while the right one is white with blue trim. “These are the doors to Heaven and Hell. When a decision is made on where your soul goes…the other door will disappear. Until then, you’re free to roam the Inbetween where we are.”

Soo-Min frowns, crossing her arms. She can’t shake the familiarity she feels with this Ruler. “Of all people, you just had to look like dad,” she says, unintentionally saying it aloud.

Nodding, the Ruler answers. “I take the form of whomever the soul admires most. In your case, yours is your father.” He pauses. “I must take my leave, but a decision will come soon.”

“Wait,” Soo-Min yells before the figure leaves. It pauses, impatiently looking back at her. “I-I can’t stay here. Tae…and Shi…I don’t know why or how I died, but they’re gonna be grieving and I can’t let them. I have to go back. You’re a god, right? You can send me back!” She kneels as best she can while floating, eyes closed as she bends over. “Please.”

The figure sighs. “What’s your biggest regret?”

Soo-Min looks up, replying without hesitation. “Siyeon. I didn’t keep in touch with her…and I never told her how I feel.”

“Very well. I cannot be the one to make this decision…” He trails off, eyes glazed over. When they return to normal, he nods. “The decision for you to return has been granted.”

Before he can say anything else, Soo-Min quickly floats to him, fiercely hugging him. “Thank you, thank you, thank you. Wait till Tae hears-”

“First rule; you can’t tell anyone who you are. That means no telling Tae, Siyeon, you can’t tell them. Clear?” Nodding, Soo-Min lets the man continue. “Second; you’ll have a month to admit your feelings to Siyeon-“

“I’ll do that right now,” Soo-Min says, turning to go. She slams into an invisible wall, stopping her.

“That’s not all. Siyeon must fall in love with your new form. You have two months to do that.”

“What?” Soo-Min stares at the figure in shock. “There’s no way she would-I mean she could, but this is Shi! She’s an idol. She’s not going to admit to that.”

The Leader continues on as if he wasn’t interrupted. “Third and final rule...I will be sending one of my trusted guides to watch over you and make sure that everything’s followed. If Nazar reports to me that you’ve broken a rule…I will personally drag you into the depths of hell where your soul will be tortured for all eternity.”

Swallowing thickly, Soo-Min nods. She looks in shock as a paper pops in front of her. Her eyes quickly read through it, determining that what he said is right and that nothing’s written in smaller print. _Dad always taught me to sign after thoroughly reading a contract._ She reaches up, only to find no pen. “What-“

A knife appears in front of her. “This is blood binding contract.”

Cutting her finger, she presses it to the contract despite feeling confused as to why she has blood if she’s dead. Shrugging at the thought, she sees the contract roll back up before the Leader guy nods. “What n-“ Her words turn to screams as she literally drops from her floating place. She flails as the white turns to blue. _Holy shit!_ She falls from the sky, eyes taking in the breathtaking view of land, water, and sky. Passing through several clouds, she comes out of them, only to end up in a darker space. Her body slams into something soft, causing her to groan at the roller-coaster ride. “What. The. Actual. Fuck!”


	4. Chapter 4

Soo-Min has learned that time passes differently when one dies. After she made her deal and fell to earth, she immediately went into journalist mode. She found that she died about a month ago, her brother had her cremated, per her wishes, and then he moved back to Seoul, where both of them were born. However, let’s not forget that on arrival to Earth, Soo-Min found that a cat, with cute Heterochromic eyes of blue and amber introduced itself as her guide. The cat could talk, only being heard by Soo-Min, which freaked her out to say the least. Since then, she’s gotten used to its presence. It explained that her body now is completely new, created by powers that no one really understands. Soo-Min doesn’t question it, knowing it’s her only shot at seeing Siyeon again. This leads up to it being several days since Soo-Min quite literally “fell out of the sky”.

“Are you sure you want to go walking around?” Nazar, the cat guide, asks Sunny. After her death as Soo-Min, she needed another name. She chose Sunny to remind herself that she’s here for Siyeon, who is the one who first started calling Soo-Min by the nickname. When they met, the older girl had said, “ **it’s cause I always see you smiling** **bright like the sun!** ”

“Of course, I’m sure. I haven’t been here in over 10 years,” Sunny replies to the cat, holding the phone she was provided to her ear. _Best avoid looking like I’m psychotic by talking to a cat._ She turns the corner, Nazar following her.

Before the cat can respond, a familiar voice speaks up nearby. Sunny looks through her darkened sunglasses to see seven familiar faces in front of a small crowd. _Shit._ She walks around the crowd, keeping her head down as she tries to ignore the idols nearby. For a brief second, she looks in between the crowd, only to catch Handong’s gaze. The Chinese girl frowns, eyebrows furrowing in thought. She looks away when a fan calls her name, leaving Sunny to continue in her escape. Once out from behind the crowd, Sunny holds her breath, hoping to make it a few more feet. Unfortunately, the excited screams that get louder cause Sunny to turn around. She sees the idol group rush up to her, some doing cutesy moves for the fans as they run. The first one to her is Yoohyeon with Sua right being her. Together, the two speak to her.

“ **I love your hair!** ” they say to her, voices louder than she expected.

Chuckling, Sunny presses against her right ear at the ringing in it. She smiles at the two, speaking back. “ **Thank you!** ”

By now, the others have arrived. Handong, Dami, and Gahyeon keep more distance between them and Sunny. Jiu and Siyeon grin, addressing the crowd as they point to Sunny’s hair. “ **What do guys think? Should be do something like this?** ”

“ **If the fanboys’ screams don’t answer that** **then I don’t know what will** ,” Sunny mutters, Sua and Yoohyeon laughing at the comment. She lightly blushes at being heard.

“ **We just wanted to compliment your hair** ,” Yoohyeon says. “ **Sorry to bother you**!” She bows with Sua.

Waving her hands, Sunny reaches out to the idols, getting them to lift from the bows. “ **No need for that! Thanks for the compliments!** ” Subconsciously, Sunny reaches up, hand touching her hair in a motion she often did as Soo-Min when she was embarrassed by attention. She doesn’t notice Siyeon seeing the movement, momentarily seeing Soo-Min in Sunny’s face.

The main singer steps around Jiu, walking to stand beside Sua. “ **Are these two bothering you**?” she playfully asks, wanting to talk to the girl who reminds her so much of her deceased friend.

Laughing, Sunny shakes her head. “ **No, no, but I really should get going**.”

For a brief moment, Siyeon seems sad, but she hides it well. “ **I’m Lee Siyeon** ,” she suddenly introduces.

Sua and Yoohyeon look at the girl in surprise. _I never thought of a last name!_ They don’t say anything as Sunny offers her hand to shake. “Ah, **Kwon Sunny** ,” she greets, noticing how Siyeon’s eyes widen at the name.

The main singer doesn’t say anything, prompting Sua to break the awkward silence. “ **I’m Sua! That’s Yoohyeon, Dami, Handong, Gahyeon, and our ridiculous leader, Jiu** ,” she points everyone out, laughing when she sees Jiu doing some weird pose for the few fans that haven’t dispersed.

This seems to break Siyeon from her stare. She blushes, nervously avoiding Sunny’s eyes. ” **Sorry, you look a lot like an old friend of mine** ,” Siyeon comments. _Is she…?_ “ **She recently died** …” Sua wraps her arm around the slightly younger girl.

Aching to reach out and comfort her friend, Sunny nods, straining to hold back her tears. _Keep it together, Sunny. You’ve got to take this slow. Shi doesn’t know who you are so breaking that barrier is step one. Rushing it will only make things worse._ Swallowing heavily, Sunny lets empathy and sympathy in her tone as she lightly caresses the other girl’s upper arm. “ **I’m so sorry for your loss**.”

Siyeon nods in thanks before Jiu cuts in. “ **Sorry! We’ve got to go. It’s was nice meeting you, Sunny!** ”

“ **You too!** ” Sunny says as she watches the group leave, hand hovering in the air for a moment when Siyeon turns away. Handong’s gaze lingers on the formerly dead girl, eyes noticing the hand still outstretched. She doesn’t say anything but thinks she might know this Sunny woman. Leaving with the others, Handong glances back a couple more times before the other girl is no longer in sight.

Letting out a sigh, Sunny turns away, feet taking her back down the street. She continues through the city with the intent to relearn where things are, but her mind is distracted by how sad Siyeon was at mentioning Soo-Min’s death. _I didn’t realize it would hit her this hard. I wish I could do something for her._


	5. Chapter 5

A few days have passed since Sunny’s encounter with Dreamcatcher. She hasn’t focused on finding them since she’s spent the time learning about what happened to her. An article from the Seattle Times talks about how Sunny’s body was found hung in her apartment, that police had deemed it suicide despite “Soo-Min’s family and friends recalling how the journalist never talked or even mentioned depression nor suicide”. Sunny had to roll her eyes at that text in the article. _Dumbass, even though I didn’t commit suicide, if I had done it…I wouldn’t have talked about it anyway._ After learning that her brother had cremated her, Sunny finds his social media, seeing his recent posts are him in Seoul. _Did he come back home? I don’t blame him since mom, dad, and I were all that went to Boston when we moved away. Our parents died about three years ago so I guess my death was his last straw._

With her past discovered, Sunny takes a break from staring at the screen. She leaves the apartment, noticing Nazar isn’t inside. _Guess he went out to explore like he does. One day, he’s gonna end up unable to return cause he’s dead or taken._ She slides her sneakers on, locking the door as she leaves. Humming, she slides her earbuds in, setting her playlist on shuffle. She smiles as the very first song to play is Dreamcatcher’s Chase Me. Her humming changes to fit the song. She notices the sky has started to darken. _I know I was researching most of the day, but geez._

As she walks, she lets herself lapse into her thoughts. _I know I didn’t commit suicide and I know I was murdered, but why? I’ve always been the type to try and resolve problems so I can’t think of any ene-Wait._ Sunny’s eyes widen as she stops in her tracks. _Wait, Sua and Handong were almost kidnapped by those two guys at K-Con LA. It could be a long shot, or it could just be coincidence._ Turning around, Sunny forgoes eating, mind set on searching all she can about who and why she would’ve been murdered because of a kidnapping. Although the kidnapping isn’t public knowledge, she knows enough to at least have a start.

Stopping at a crosswalk, Sunny looks at the woman next to her, giving a small smile, but not really paying attention. She taps her fingers on her arm as she waits for the light to change. Once it does, the girl walks across, but Sunny looks both ways first. She sees a dark colored car speeding towards the crosswalk. Without a moment’s hesitation, Sunny runs across the road, tackling the other woman out of the way. The car screeches to a stop, but no one gets out. Sunny glares at the tinted windows, watching the car until it speeds away.

Attention going to the woman, Sunny quickly helps her up, only to stare in surprise. “ **Handong**?”

The Chinese girl shares the same look. She quickly bows. “Ah, **Thank you, Sunny.** ” She straightens up, pulling Sunny out of the road with her.

Handong goes to bow again at the way she pulled the other, but Sunny waves her away. “ **Thanks. What are you doing out this late**?”

The other girl smiles softly. “ **We’re preparing for our comeback and I went to go get dinner for the others. They’re back at the company**.”

At that moment, Sunny’s stomach growls. She nervous messes with her hair, that same nervous tick that Siyeon first noticed about her. “ **Ah, I’ll go with you, if you don’t mind. I haven’t eaten yet**.” As if to corroborate her story, Sunny’s stomach growls again. _I’m hungry and I don’t want her walking out here all alone._

Handong smiles. “ **Sure**.” They walk down the street, keeping close due to the time of night and the chill in the air. Only their steps make any noise as they walk, save the noise of cars on other streets. “ **Can I ask you a question**?” Sunny nods. “ **I…wanted to ask if you knew Kang Soo-Min**?”

Sunny’s eyes widen. “N-No. **Can’t say I have or did. W-Why**?” Sunny curses herself for stuttering.

The Chinese girl notices. She frowns, glancing at the other girl. “ **Siyeon told us how you looked almost identical to her, just your hair and eyes were different colors**.” Handong takes a breath. “ **When you pushed me out of the way back there, I felt the same…calmness and warmth that I felt when Soo-Min saved us before**.”

“ **When they tried to kidnap you** ,” Sunny mutters, not realizing that’s what Handong wanted her to say.

“ **I knew it**!” Handong surprises the other with the outburst. “ **You are Soo-Min**!”

“ **N-No, I’m not** ,” Sunny unconvincingly replies.

_Shit, shit, shit. They’re gonna take me back cause I broke a rule._ A meow stops the two in their tracks. Sunny looks at Nazar, who speaks to her. “Idiot, Handong figured it out herself so you won’t be penalized.” Looking between Nazar and Handong, Sunny frowns. “You’re on your own here, kid. I’ve got much better things to do.” He teleports away, perk of being a guide of the Inbetween.

“ **That cat just-** “

“ **Handong** ,” Sunny says, catching the Chinese girl’s attention. “ **Let’s go**.” She leads them towards the restaurant. They pick up the food with Sunny ordering a smaller meal to go with them. Once on their way back to Dreamcatcher’s dorm, Sunny explains everything. “ **After K-Con, I was murdered in my home. Whoever did it, I think was part of the same group that tried to kidnap you and Sua…** ” Sunny gestures wildly with her free hand. “ **After I died, I was trapped between Heaven and Hell in this place called the Inbetween. The Leader there, who looked exactly like my dad cause the Leader takes on a soul’s most admired person, said that I have a month to get Siyeon to love this me, but I know Shi didn’t ever like me like that. I love her, but I wouldn’t force her to feel the same**.” Handong stays silent, letting it all process. “ **Nazar, the cat, is my guide here. He makes sure I don’t break the rules of not telling anyone my identity. I guess he’s like an angel or something, but he can talk, only I hear him, and teleport**.”

Handong nods along, eyes wide with interest. When Sunny’s done with the retelling of what’s happened, the Chinese girl stops them, grabbing Sunny’s free hand. “ **I know we don’t really know each other, but Siyeon talks about you a lot and I want to help you two out**.” She retracts her hand, passing her phone to the formerly dead girl. “ **Whatever you need, I’ll help you**.”

Smiling softly, Sunny puts her number in, passing it back. “ **I appreciate the offer, but it’s dangerous, Handong. These guys didn’t hesitate to find and kill me in a matter of days. You’ve already been in danger. Let me handle this on my own, okay**?”

Pouting, the girl nods. “ **Only if you promise to keep me updated on these things. I want to know too**.” She suddenly grins. “ **I totally ship you too. Siyeonny? Sunyeon?** ”

Chuckling, Sunny stops outside the company building once they arrive. “ **Don’t tell them you saw me?** ”

Handong shakes her head. “ **I won’t. Be careful, Sunny**.” She surprises the other girl by pulling her into a hug. “ **I’ll text you when I get inside so you have my number. Let me know when you’ve gotten back safely?** ”

Sunny nods, surprised at how kind and caring the other is. “ **I will. Enjoy~**.”

The formerly dead girl starts walking away once Handong has walked inside. She makes her way back to her apartment, which is much closer to the company than she thought. Once back, she sets up her laptop and starts to eat while she works on hacking into Dreamcatcher’s company. _I might’ve had my share of learning to code and how to hack computer systems when I was growing up_. It takes longer than she expected, but the information she finds is a gold mine. She follows the breadcrumbs and can only download the data to sift through later. Her head hits the pillow, finally feeling like her time hasn’t been a complete waste. _I know I came back to tell Siyeon, but if this plot goes as deep as I think…her and the others could be in more danger than I realized….and I could be the only one who knows and is willing to solve the problem._


	6. Chapter 6

Once getting some rest, Sunny goes right back to sifting through the data she discovered. Turns out, the CEO is a bit of a gambler and has put himself into debt, even skimming funds from the company in an attempt to save himself, only to lose that and borrow from loan sharks. Whoever he’s borrowed money from…really wants their money back, going as far as hiring criminals to kidnap and murder. _This goes way deeper than I thought._ Frowning, Sunny opens a file that has all the information in an organized format. _At least if something were to happen to this form, I had physical evidence for all this._

As she muses on what to do, Sunny hears the footsteps down the hallway. _Dammit._ Carefully moving herself behind the bedroom door, she makes sure to hide from the light so that her shadow doesn’t reveal where she is. The footsteps get closer until Sunny can see the figure’s shadow. She waits, breath held. The seconds tick by before the figure’s shadow retreats. Sunny waits another few seconds before letting herself breathe again.

Stepping out from the doorway, Sunny prepares to grab her cell phone when something slams into her side. She grunts, back hitting the wall beside her bed. Her head slams back, leaving a small dent in the wall. Vision swarming, she blinks several times, hoping to clear it up. The idea works, leaving Sunny’s eyes wide in shock.

The guy in front of her wears a mask and gloves, just like the guys that tried to kidnap Sua and Handong. She feels the guy move one of his hands, lifting a knife so that she can see it. Her eyes widen as he speaks. “I want to hear you beg and scream.” His eyes have a swirl of insanity and happiness in them.

Reacting quickly, Sunny slams her heel into his foot, sending him to take a small step back. This gives her enough space to jump, back pressed against the wall and feet pressed to his chest, and kick. The man slams into the opposite wall as Sunny drops to the ground. Without giving herself a moment to panic, she stands back up, grabbing the lamp from the beside of her table. When the guy tries to rush at her, she swings the lamp, hitting the man across the face. He spits blood onto her floor, eyes blazing with…desire.

“Who the fuck are you?” Sunny asks, eyes on him.

The man smirks. “It doesn’t matter since you’re going to die anyway,” he replies. “I will tell you that you shouldn’t snoop in others business.”

 _This dude is crazy! He’s killing because he wants to and it just happens to follow along with whoever his boss wants dead._ The man launches at her, but Sunny steps out of his way. His head slams into the nightstand, blood pouring from a gash on his forehead. He pushes off the furniture, knife ready to sink into Sunny’s skin. She sees the man run at her, almost in slow motion. This gives her plenty of time to dodge the knife and grab his wrist. She jerks his arm up, forcing the knife into his shoulder. He cries out, time resuming. With him slightly incapacitated, she rushes out of the bedroom, grabbing an umbrella on the counter. _Glad I bought this the other day when it looked like it was gonna pour down rain._ She swings it, slamming the end across his face. His eyes start to change from joy to rage.

“Uh oh,” Sunny mutters, seeing the change.

“You little bitch! Stay still and die with ease!”

The man tries to tackle her, but she grabs his wrist, twisting it. A snap is heard before the man cries out in pain. _Where did I learn that move?!_ She doesn’t have time to continue to question it as the guy yells at her. Hands resting on the counter, she jumps, holding herself up as she kicks him in the chest. He flies back, slamming into the wall and leaving a person-sized dent. _What the fuck?_ Noticing her lack of heavy breathing, Sunny presses her hand to her chest, feeling how little effort was being exerted. _Did I really just do all that and not even break a sweat?!_ Grinning, Sunny walks over to the man, grabbing the front of his shirt. He tries to fight back, but Sunny slams her fist against his head, knocking him out.

“Took you long enough,” a voice says behind her.

Looking over her shoulder at Nazar, Sunny rolls her eyes. “You’ve been there this whole time and didn’t, I don’t know, help?”

“You could handle on your own. Don’t think we sent you here unprepared,” Nazar replies, jumping onto the counter. “This body is built to last you, Sunny. It’s stronger than a normal human’s, faster, more endurance, flexibility…you’re essentially that Captain guy.”

“Captain America?” Sunny questions.

“Yeah, that guy,” Nazar replies, stretching out.

Sunny looks over at the unconscious attacker. “What do I do about him?” she gestures at his body.

Nazar sighs. “Leave him. I’ll have one of the cleanup guides come in and handle it.”

Deciding not to ask what that means, Sunny watches the unconscious guy before shrugging and going to her room. She locks the door after shutting it. _What the hell was that?! I have Captain America level power; strength, endurance, speed? Holy shit._ She crashes on the bed, eyes wide open as she stares at the ceiling, lost in her thoughts. _This is so bad ass!_ Her thoughts turn, sending her into sadness. _I wish I could share this with her._


	7. Chapter 7

Tracking the phone of the guy she killed, she finds several places that he frequented, one of which was a building across from Dreamcatcher’s dorm. Disgust at the thought of this guy watching them sends waves of nausea through her. She pushes the thoughts aside, focusing on figuring out her next move. _I want to stop these guys from hurting Shi and the girls. I haven’t known them long, but I can see how happy Shi is when she’s around them. They’ve helped her through the grief of my death…I can’t let anything happen to them._ She spends several days watching a frequent warehouse that the guy visited. It usually remains fairly vacant, only a black van appearing every several hours.

When a second van appears just outside the warehouse on the third day of Sunny’s stakeout, this prompts the revived girl to move in closer. She manages to climb up a fire escape before anyone can notice her. Peeking in through a broken window, she hears the end of the conversation. “… **Lee Siyeon and Kim Minji will be attending an event without the others in a few hours. This will be a good time to take them since the others will be together** …” Eyes wide, Sunny lowers herself to a seated position. _I have to stop this!_

Sneaking back down the fire escape, Sunny quickly rushes to dreamcatcher’s dorm. _If they’re planning to attack while Shi and Jiu are out, then I’ll have to follow them_. She made the drive with ease due to the motorcycle that was gifted to her on her return to the world of the living. _I’d always wanted a bike. Took dying for me to get one._ Sunny sits on her bike in an alley next to the dorm building. _Just wait till they leave and follow._ When the two members of dreamcatcher leave their dorm and enter their manager’s van, Sunny slides the visor of her helmet down and follows them. On arrival at the venue, Sunny watches them go inside before she parks and sneaks in through one of the back doors. She finds their dressing room. Hearing it silent from outside, she peeks in to see the girls are already in the recording room. She manages to find them without any staff questioning her.

Sunny watches the two interact with each other and their host. She keeps out of sight, watching them through a one-way mirror. A small smile slips onto her lips. _Shi, I’m so happy for you. I couldn’t be prouder of you. A true star on stage._ Sunny blinks, blurring her vision as tears form. She quickly wipes them away. Even lost in thought, she notices Siyeon and Jiu getting up from their seats. Sunny quickly rushes back out to her bike, knowing that if the two are going to be kidnapped, it’ll happen soon. _I haven’t seen anything out of the ordinary. These guys are bound to kidnap them once they’ve left or something._

As if on cue, a black van pulls up behind the manager’s van. Sunny sees Siyeon and Jiu walk out of the venue, smiling and laughing at something. She watches them obliviously walk to the manager’s van. The girls scream when the van doors open and masked individuals with weapons rush at them. Sunny turns her bike on, letting it roar to life. This allows Siyeon and Jiu a moment to try to run back inside while the kidnappers are distracted by the noise. Sunny floors the bike, launching out of the alley. She doesn’t hit the brakes until she’s at the back of the van, causing the two-wheeled vehicle to perform a front-end wheelie. Turning her body, she uses the momentum to slam the back of the bike into one of the guys. She jumps off the bike as it skids down the sidewalk. Her fist connects with nearest guy’s face. A satisfying crack echoes around her. She turns, spinning so that she can kick the next guy against the van. He slumps to the ground after she slams his head into the metal of the van. With one guy left, she turns to him, helmet hiding the anger in her eyes. _No one fucking touches them._ She sees the guy pull a knife from his pocket. The familiar sound of the blade springing out causes her to pause before her attack.

“G-Get the fuck a-away from me,” the guy says, hand slightly shaking.

Frowning, Sunny speaks up. “Who hired you?” _I recognize him. He was one of the guys at the warehouse. He wasn’t involved in the planning but was sharpening the knife._

The guy frowns, relaxing his body for a moment. “I-I don’t know. I was hired off the street.”

“Wrong answer,” Sunny growls, launching at the guy. She moves quicker than he can react. As the blade comes down where he saw her, she dodges the weapons. Before the guy is able to readjust, she grabs his wrist, shoving it at his chest. He manages to redirect the blade from its intended target, but the blade still penetrates his skin. Red liquid coats Sunny’s hand as she digs the knife deeper.

“H-Hey,” she vaguely hears behind her.

Looking over her shoulder, Sunny sees Jiu looking at her while Siyeon hides her eyes in the leader’s hair. Realizing what she’s done in front of them, Sunny quickly gets up, leaving the guy to bleed out of the ground. She looks at the two, then she feels the liquid on her hand. Looking down, Sunny gasps. She tries to wipe the blood off onto her shirt, but it smears on her hand and on the fabric. _Oh god…I-_ Panic seizes her thoughts. _Fuck. I k-killed him. It wasn’t in self-defense this time. I just wanted to protect them. To stop them from doing it again._ Tears force themselves from the girl’s eyes. She steps back, foot catching on the guy’s arm. Looking down, she chokes on a sob. Despite her face being hidden by her helmet, she looks up, meeting Jiu’s eyes.

“S-Sorry,” she says, turning to leave.

“ **Wait!** ” Jiu reaches out, grabbing Sunny’s sleeve. “ **We should call the police**.”

Nodding, Sunny pulls her phone out. Using her unbloodied hand, she dials a number Nazar gave her. The phone rings once before it’s picked up. “I-I killed someone,” she says, voice cracking. “T-They attacked again.”

The voice, monotoned and uncaring, replies. “Leave the scene as is. I’ve dispatched cleanup to your location.” They hang up, leaving the dial tone to echo in the girl’s ear. She drops her arm, phone loosely held in her grasp. Her gaze turns to Jiu. “ **Y-You should get home. I-I’ll wait here**.”

Jiu frowns, eyebrows furrowing. “ **Won’t they need our statement**?”

Shaking her head, Sunny tilts her head to stare at the three guys she fought off. “ **No. It’s fine. You shouldn’t get involved.** ”

Jiu looks like she wants to argue, but Siyeon speaks up, pulling her head away from the leader to look at the one in the helmet. “ **You didn’t call the police**.” Her voice isn’t mad or angry, just accepting.

Sunny shakes her head. “No.”

Nodding, Siyeon tugs Jiu’s hands. “ **Unnie, let’s go**.” At seeing the older girl want to argue, Siyeon smiles sadly. “ **Unnie, please**.”

After a moment, Jiu nods. She looks at Sunny. “ **I don’t know if I should thank you or report you, but…** ” She looks at Siyeon once more. “ **Thank you for stopping them**.”

Watching the two walk away, she sighs. _I’m so dead. I killed this guy! What’s going to happen to me?_ As if on cue, a familiar cat walks out from the shadows. “You killed the dude in self-defense, Sunny. As much as you’ve convinced yourself you haven’t…he was intending to kill you and kidnap them. Don’t fret over this. Make sure they get home safely.”

“Won’t that be suspicious?” Sunny asks.

“Probably, but they’re not safe walking alone. Once these guys don’t return…”

Before Nazar can even finish, Sunny is running after Jiu and Siyeon. She turns the corner, finding the two leaning against the wall with Siyeon in tears. Immediately, the revived girl kneels in front of them. “ **Did someone hurt you**?” She asks, voice tight with fear.

Jiu looks at the one in the helmet in surprise. “ **What** -“

Siyeon speaks up. “ **Who are you**?” she asks, voice groggy from crying.

Frowning, Sunny turns her head. “ **If I tell you, you won’t ever see me the same again** ,” she mutters loud enough for them to hear.

“ **So** -“ Siyeon stops short, eyes rewetting with new tears. “ **Sunny** , **right**?”

Nodding, the revived girl reaches up, pulling her helmet off. “ **I’m** **sorry** ,” she says, staring at the blood dried to her hand.

Jiu, noticing the redness to Sunny’s eyes, sighs softly. “ **Come on. You saved our lives so the least we can do is offer you dinner**.”

Shaking her head, Sunny frowns. “ **I just came to make sure you get home safely. I don’t deserve anything more than that.** ”

Siyeon reaches out, surprising the other two. She grabs Sunny’s hands, ignoring the churning feeling that she feels when she touches the dried blood. “ **You saved us tonight. Please…let us do this. You saved Sua-unnie and Handong-sshi too.** ”

Nodding, Sunny hesitantly pulls her hands out of the older girl’s grasp. “O-Okay.”

The two idols lead the way to their dorm as Sunny follows just behind them. She looks at her hands, still feeling that familiar warmth from when she was Soo-Min and Shi held her hands. _I won’t let this life go to waste. If I don’t get her to fall in love with this me…at least I’ll make sure these guys never hurt her or her friends. I will stop them, not for revenge, but for the sake of their safety._

Once at the dorm, Sunny is ushered to Siyeon’s room, who shares with Dami and Jiu, but the former is kept out of the room while the blood is washed down the drain. Once Sunny is clear of blood, she walks back into the main room, stomach growling when her nostrils pick up the scent of food. Sua and Jiu are cooking, well mostly Sua with Jiu sneaking bites of vegetables. Siyeon is sitting on the couch, watching Yoohyeon play a game. Handong, Gahyeon, and Dami talk amongst themselves.

Upon seeing Sunny, Handong waves her over. Sunny sits beside the girl, letting her lean against the revived girl. Whispering to the girl with multicolored hair, Handong questions her. “ **Are you okay**?”

Sunny, glad that her resurrection gave her more than just enhancements, replies to the girl in Chinese. “ **I’m…okay. Did they tell you what happened**?”

Handong nods, leading Sunny to sigh. She looks down when Handong intertwines their hands in comfort. “ **You can’t keep doing this to yourself. I know you’re trying to protect us, but it’s killing you inside. I can see it**.”

Sunny frowns, mindlessly staring at Siyeon as her thumbs rubs the back of Handong’s hand. _She’s the only one here that knows the truth. If she didn’t…I don’t know if I could do this._ “ **I don’t have a choice, Dongie** ,” she says, unintentionally using the nickname.

“ **Let’s go talk in** **the room** ,” the Chinese girl says when she notices Yoohyeon listening in. Wordlessly, Sunny lets Handong pull her to the room she shares with Gahyeon. Once inside, Handong shuts the door, gesturing to her bed. She and Sunny sit, allowing them privacy to talk about things.

“ **Thanks. I didn’t notice that she was listening** ,” Sunny admits softly.

“ **She wouldn’t be able to follow everything we say, but I’d rather her not piece anything together. Not yet anyway…** ”

“ **It’s better for them to be kept in the dark. I didn’t want to drag you into this either** ,” Sunny mutters.

“ **I know, but these guys…they’ve targeted half of us now. The police can’t really do anything here…With your return to life and the way the kidnappers operate** …” Handong trails off in thought.

Sunny sighs. “ **I came back to admit my feelings and rectify a regret, not take down an entire crime operation** … **I don’t think I’ll get the chance to tell her** …”

Handong turns to the girl, taking both of her hands. “ **You can’t give up, Sunny! I know she feels the same, even if she doesn’t even realize it yet**.” Handong squeezes the other girl’s hands. “ **Please don’t give up. I’ve seen how happy she is around you…she even seems to be less sad when talking about Soo-Min…just don’t give up on your feelings. There’s a brightness in her expressions that I haven’t seen since before the news broke about your death**.”

Sunny doesn’t reply. She stares at the wall behind Handong, lost in thought. _I don’t have time for both. I have a couple weeks left at most. If I try to do both…I’ll lose one side…I’m not willing to bet on losing them all in exchange for Siyeon’s love._ Pulling her hands from Handong’s, she looks at the Chinese girl with sadness. “ **I’m sorry, Dongie**.” She stands up, slowly backing towards the door. “ **She deserves to enjoy this time with all of you…and bogging her down with this would take away from that. If I tried to save all of you and admit my feelings to her…I’m bound to lose one if not both and I’m not willing to bet your lives on that.** ” Sunny bows once her back hits the door. “ **Thank you for keeping my secret and being a friend for me to talk to. Thank you for everything, but this is the last time you’ll see me**.” Not giving her a chance to reply, Sunny leaves the room. She ignores the questions fired her way as she grabs her helmet and leaves the dorm. Jiu and Sua try to get her to stay now that dinner’s done, but their words fall on deaf ears. Siyeon watches from her seat at the table, feeling a pressure in her chest that she recognizes, but finds it hard to belief. Yoohyeon, sitting beside her, holds her unnie’s hands when she hears the main singer’s breathing pick up. Dami goes to talk to Handong, curious as to what happened, while Gahyeon watches everything in confusion.


	8. Chapter 8

Dreamcatcher’s promotions have ended, allowing the girls more fansigns. Each one is sent to Sunny’s phone by each member, who obtained the number from Handong, but the revived girl is never seen by them. She shows up, but doesn’t let her hair or face get seen. A hoodie and mask keep her identity in check as she often watches them from the shadows in alleyways and inside businesses. Despite her best effort to remain hidden, one of the more observant members sees her during these events.

A few days after she started to hide herself, Sunny receives a text from Handong, asking to meet up with the formerly dead girl. Needing a break from her search for who’s behind all the kidnappings and her murder. She continues to come up short, frustrating her. Once she’s left the apartment, she goes to Dreamcatcher’s dorm, where Handong has asked to meet since the other members aren’t there. Sunny enters the dorm after the Chinese member opens the door.

“ **How are you, Sunny**?” Handong asks, hugging the girl.

Sunny shrugs. “ **I’ve made no progress in finding out who’s really behind all this. Whoever it is…really knows how to hide their tracks.** ”

Handong nods thoughtfully. A comfortable silence settles over them until she speaks up. “ **Why have you been hiding at our fansigns? Siyeon has been looking forward to you being there**.”

Frowning, Sunny looks behind the girl in front of her, eyes glazing over in thought. _I can’t be seen with them. She has to know that. Why has Shi been looking forward to my appearance? We haven’t really been able to talk much since I’ve decided to focus my limited time on stopping these threats against her and the group._ Looking back at Handong, Sunny sighs. “ **If I’m seen with you guys, then I…I’m afraid they’ll go beyond just kidnapping. If something were to happen to you, Shi, or the others…** ” Sunny trails off, leaving things unsaid.

Reaching out, Handong grabs the other’s hands. “ **You hardly know us…you’re the most selfless person I know. You came back to right your regret but have instead sworn to keep us all safe. Sunny, I know the others would agree with me…but we’re happy with you around. You’re amazing, fun, you fit in with all of us. We want you around. The others don’t know about your limited time left, but I do and I don’t want to have to hunt for you at fansigns. I know Siyeon-unnie would feel the same.** ”

Sunny, looking at the slightly younger girl in shock, slowly nods. “ **I’ll…make sure you guys see me next time, but Handong…these guys are no joke. They’ll** -“ She’s interrupted by the door shutting and six familiar voices reaching their auditory senses. Sunny’s eyes widen as she looks at the Chinese girl. “ **You said they wouldn’t be back until later**.”

Handong nods, eyes betraying how she knew this. “ **You need to talk to her, Sunny**.”

Anger and embarrassment flood Sunny’s system. She glares at the other girl, whom she’s grown to consider a good friend. “ **You lied to me.** ” Pulling her hands from the other girl’s, she moves off the bed in one swift, elegant motion. Tears prick at the corner of her eyes. “ **You knew they wouldn’t be gone long** ,” she says in a low whisper. At Handong’s nod, her voice cracks as it grows in volume. “ **I’ve got just over a week left. This isn’t about Shi and I anymore! You’re all in danger from a psychopath who wants to use and harm you!** ” Turning from her friend, Sunny slams her fist into the door in anger. Her eyes widen when her hand _goes through the door_. Pulling her hand back through, she stares at it in shock despite knowing of her enhanced strength. She mumbles a quick apology before removing her hand from the door opening and rushing to the common space. Ignoring six confused stares, she brushes past them, leaving the dorm in tears. _I shouldn’t have come. I need to keep my distance. No more distractions. I have to find this bastard. He’ll just keep sending more and more people after them._

Too lost in thought, Sunny doesn’t notice the black van following her. Only when she turns into an alley to let herself cry does she realize she was followed. Six figures in all black exit with guns in hand. She gets up, fists raised as she searches the alley for a weapon of any kind. To her luck, she spots an old metal trash can with its lid on top. _Nazar did compare me to Captain America._ With a smirk, Sunny turns, grabs the lid, and flings it at the nearest guy. It hits him in the center of his face, sending him stumbling into one of the others. With him down, this leaves five heavily armed attacked. She ducks behind a large dumpster when they fire at her. _Silenced weapons. Shouldn’t be surprised if they’re trying to kill me in broad daylight._

“Come out and your death will be quick and painless,” one of them says to her.

“Not a chance, jackass,” she replies, hands pushing against the dumpster. She manages to turn it to block the alley. The attackers mumble amongst themselves about the display of strength but are convinced by the leader to follow her. Sunny, waiting with her body half hidden under the dumpster, watches them jump off the top of the dumpster and land just in front of her. Sliding from her spot, she silently gets up. Before they can notice her, she slams her foot into the back of the leader’s knee. He loses balance, falling while the others react. She grunts at feeling the bullet tear through her abdomen, but she manages to keep upright as she slams her arm into the guy, sending him against the wall. A sickening crack follows his fall to the ground.

The sound of muffled gunfire erupts behind her. Sunny feels several rounds penetrate her skin, sending her dropping to her knees as she feels her legs give out. Despite the enhancements to her body, the bullets cause enough damage to stop her from defending herself. Her body crashes to the ground, vision swarming from the pain. She manages to look up at the leader guy who she regrets not killing.

The guy grabs her chin, face hidden by a mask. “I don’t know who you are, but you’re done putting a delay in the plan.” He stands, letting go of her face in the process. As Sunny’s vision fades to black, she hears one last thing from him. “It’ll all end soon with Jeju.”


	9. Chapter 9

Several days later, Sunny wakes up in a cold sweat. She looks around the room, recognizing it as her own. With a sigh of relief, she lowers her head, only to notice the bloodstained shirt she’s in. “What?”

“Sorry about that,” Nazar says from the doorway. He jumps onto her bed, casually licking his paw. “You would’ve died if I hadn’t of gotten there when I did. Those guys did a number of you. Try to avoid bullets from now on.”

Confusion twists Sunny’s expression. “I don’t understand…” As if a switch triggered, Sunny gasps as images flash in her mind. From Handong’s to the masked guy’s face. She looks at Nazar. “They-Oh god.” She clenches her fists, gathering the sheets in her hands. Her eyes narrow as she tries to recall what happened. “Six of them…They must’ve been waiting to get Dreamcatcher when they saw me instead.” Growling, she moves to get off the bed.

“Woah, woah. Slow down there, Sunny. You heal quicker than a normal human, but you did get shot five times.”

Shaking her head, Sunny stares at the dried blood on her floor. “I don’t care, Nazar. Those guys…Before I fell unconscious, they mentioned Jeju…I have to figure out what they meant by ‘it’ll all end soon with Jeju’.”

Nazar huffs. “Fine. Just don’t come crying to me when you’re dying again.” Before he teleports away, he adds, “Also your phone has been ringing. It stopped yesterday.”

Immediately, Sunny grabs the device, finger guiding the screen to her recent calls. _Two from Jiu, six from Handong, almost a dozen from Siyeon!? And nearly forty texts between the seven of them?_ Panic seizes Sunny’s heart. She goes to Siyeon’s contact file and presses the call button. It rings twice before it’s answered.

“ **Sunny**?” Siyeon questions, voice somehow off to the one in question. When there’s no sound from the formerly dead girl, Siyeon continues. “ **I don’t know if you can hear me, but Sunny…please help. There are these two vans following us. Our manager is trying to lose them, but…Sunny-** “ The line suddenly cuts out as she hears the sound of metal scrapping against metal.

As if jumpstarting her, Sunny rushes from her bed. She doesn’t bother to change out of her bloodied shirt as she grabs her helmet and jacket from the closet. _No, no, no, no, no._ The word repeats in her head as she remembers her parents’ death. They were talking to Sunny through the Bluetooth connection in their car when it started to fizzle out. Sounds of metal scraping metal and screams reached the young girl’s ears. Even in the present, Sunny can still hear those sounds. _Focus. Focus!_ Pausing, Sunny closes her eyes. _You don’t know what the sound was, even if you would recognize it anywhere. You know where Siyeon is. You know how to hack into their phones so find their location. Deep breaths, Soo. Deep breaths._ Reopening her eyes, Sunny grabs her computer and immediately gets to work on learning the girl’s location. Once seeing Siyeon’s phone is stationary, she grabs the helmet and slips on her jacket.

Nazar meets her at the door. “Let’s go,” he says, having heard the phone call. His paw touches Sunny’s shoe.

In a second, they’re gone. In the next, they stand outside, eyes on the remains of an accident. Sunny runs across the road, eyes on the two forms lying on the ground. Her chest tightens with fear. As she gets near, she sees the figures start to stir. The fear is still there, but nowhere near as strong as it was. Sunny slides to a stop, kneeling beside Sua. “Hey, hey, you okay?” she questions, left hand moving around behind the older girl in an attempt to help her up. “Sua?”

The older girl grunts, hand pressing against her forehead. “Ow,” she mutters, blinking several times. Her head turns to Sunny after a second. “ **S-Sunny**?”

“ **Yeah, it’s me. What happened?”** Sunny asks as Sua pulls from her arms. She listens to Sua explain while she helps Handong up.

“ **This van…well there was two of them…They shot out our tires causing her to slide across the road. Our manager…he** …” Sua’s eyes water. Sunny wraps her arms around the shorter girl. “ **He was with them. They gave him a mask and a gun**.”

Handong cuts in when Sua pauses between sobs. “ **Sunny, they took the others.** ” She walks over to Sua, helping her unnie stand.

Eyes widening, Sunny looks at the wreckage of the company vehicle. _Thank god it stayed upright and didn’t flip._ She turns her attention back to Handong. “ **Which way did they go**?”

Before the Chinese girl can answer, Nazar appears in front of them, shocking the other two girls. Sunny ignores them, focusing on the guide. “I followed them to a warehouse nearby.” Light rain starts to fall from the overcast sky.

Hearing that, Sunny relaxes slightly. She looks to her two friends only to find Handong holding Sua back. Upon seeing the attention, the older of the two glares at Sunny. “ **Who are you and what the fuck is going on**?”

“ **Unnie** ,” Handong tries to calm the girl down.

“ **It’s okay, Dongie** ,” Sunny says, exhaustion evident in her expression. “ **Sua-unnie, I promise to explain everything, but right now…I’m the only one that can save the other members. Please, let me do that and then I’ll sit down with everyone. I’ll answer your questions.** ” Sunny kneels, bowing at the girl. “Please.”

Surprised at the display, Sua reaches down, grabbing the bowed girl’s hands. “ **Okay.** ” She pulls her to stand. “ **Sunny, get them back okay? But make sure you come back**.”

Nazar speaks up. “Another guide will be here to keep them safe and get them out of the weather.”

Nodding, Sunny looks to Handong. “ **Keep each other safe.** ” Once the Chinese girl nods, Sunny turns to Nazar. “ **Lets go.** ” Her expression darkens as she feels anger bubble to the surface. _Keep it down, Soo. You can let loose when you find the people responsible._ Nazar jumps onto Sunny’s shoulder. She looks to the two. “ **Someone will be by soon to get you out of this rain.** ” Before the two are able to reply, Nazar teleports himself and Sunny away. On their reappearance, they stare at a large warehouse with several figures patrolling around the outside of the building.


	10. Chapter 10

After scouting the outside of the warehouse, Sunny has Nazar teleport her inside. She manages to sneak up to the rafters in the ceiling, allowing her to remain hidden from view. Her attention moves to the ground below, where she listens in. Dreamcatcher, save two members, are sitting on the ground with several armed guards around them. There’s one guy that seems to stand out from the rest. He leans on a cane, eyes watching the girls.

“ **It’s really a shame your CEO couldn’t keep his finances in check. No matter, you’ll all fetch a good price** ,” the guy says, flawlessly speaking Korean.

“ **Who are you**?” Jiu asks, arms wrapped around her members as best she can.

The guy chuckles. “ **You’ll learn in time. I know that girl will no doubt be here to try and save you. When she does…** ” The man trails off, smirking. “ **Let’s just say if it ends badly for her, things will end well for you**.”

_What does that even mean?_ The guy turns around, walking away from the girls. He disappears from her view, entering some kind of office. Sunny frowns, readjusting her grip. _He must mean me. I’ll gladly let things end badly for me if it means Dreamcatcher gets out of this alive and well._ Sunny’s thoughts halt as she loses her grip. She falls from the ceiling, gasping in surprise. _I would totally lose grip in a moment like this!_ She closes her eyes in time for her body to slam on the concrete floor. Around her, the guards move to surround her, guns aimed at her. She grunts, pushing herself up. Her eyes widen, noticing the cracks her fall created.

“Don’t move,” one of the masked guards’ orders.

Sitting on her knees, Sunny lifts her arms, palms facing out. “Easy there, buddy. I just got a bit lost.”

The guard scoffs, gesturing to two others. They approach, intending to capture her, but Sunny has other plans. She waits till one of them reaches for her wrist. As soon as she can, she latches onto him, slamming her free hand into his solar plexus. He gasps, double over, allowing Sunny to slam her knee into his face. Hearing the crunch, she smirks at having broken his nose. _That’s what you get for kidnapping my friends._ She hears the click before the gunfire erupts. Using the guy’s body as a shield, she rushes the other guard. He runs out of ammo in his clip, shouting profanities as he tries to reload. Sunny throws the dead guy at the other, using the distraction to slam her fist into the living guy’s throat. He coughs, dropping the gun as he gasps her air.

A single gunshot erupts behind Sunny. She feels the bullet graze her shoulder. Rounding on the shooter, she glares at the cane guy from before. “ **Ah, ah, don’t move** ,” he orders her, gun aimed beside him. Sunny’s gaze follows his arm, over the gun, only to see he’s got the gun aimed directly at Siyeon. Her eyes widen, immediately body going stiff. Two guards grab her arms, pinning them behind her. She doesn’t bother to fight back, knowing Siyeon’s life is on the line. “That’s better,” cane guy says. He smirks. “ **You always were the smart one in the family,** “ he says, shocking Sunny.

“W-What?”

The man chuckles. “ **I’m surprised you don’t recognize your dear old uncle**.” Memories flash in Sunny’s vision. The cane guy in front of her, but younger, is prevalent in them. _Wait, how does he know? I haven’t-How is he-What?_ At the recognition, the guy chuckles. “ **There it is.** ” He gestures to another guard on his right, who walks to Sunny as she drops to her knees in shock. “ **Why don’t we have a bit of fun, huh**?”

Before Sunny can reply, the guard in front of her slams his fist across her cheek. She ignores the sting, eyes staring at Siyeon as the singer yells for them to stop. The guard repeatedly punches the formerly dead girl until she bleeds from a gash on her lip and several cuts on her cheeks. Sunny, angered by the time of events, spits the blood in her mouth at the guy. It spatters on his face, resulting in him wiping it off. He pulls something from his pocket, unseen by Sunny, and slams it into the bullet wound from earlier. She cries out, leaning forward at the burning heat from the knife’s blade.

“Coating a weapon in snake venom really gets people to stop being a nuisance,” the guy says.

Sunny grits her teeth, trying to push past the burning sensation. “ **Yeah, well some of us can barely feel it** ,” she taunts.

The guy leans down, grabbing a fistful of her hair to make her look at him. “Bitch,” he spits at her.

Knowing the guy hated to be taunted, Sunny jerks her head up, slamming her forehead into the guy’s chin. He stumbles back, giving the formerly dead girl a chance to break free of her restraints. She swings her leg out, slamming it into the guy on her right. He flies back from the hit, slumping against the far wall. She turns to the guy on her left, pulling the knife from her shoulder and slicing it across his neck. Pulling it free, she turns to the guy that beat her. “ **I’m not supposed to get revenge, but this one’s for me**!” She rushes at him, knife aimed at his neck. He catches her wrist, trying to push against her, but the enhancement of strength proves useful as she pushes the knife into his neck. Turning to her uncle, Sunny notices the gun aimed at her. _Finally got him to turn it on me and not her._

“ **I’m impressed, kid.** ” For a moment, she sees a younger him with a smile on his face and happiness in his eyes. She shakes her head, seeing him in the present with a pleased smirk and hatred in his eyes. “ **I really thought you’d disappoint me.** ”

“ **You say you’re my uncle…** ” She trails off, unsure how to proceed without revealing who she is.

Sensing her hesitation, her uncle looks at Siyeon and the others. “ **I see**.” He chuckles. “ **You know…at first I didn’t believe it, but after watching you…studying you…I’ve concluded that my dear old brother’s daughter cheated death.** ” Sunny’s eyes widen. _What?_ The man chuckles, addressing Siyeon. “ **Lee Siyeon…to think that you mourned her death only for her to be right in front of you all this time**.” He turns his attention back to Sunny, not seeing the thoughtful expression on Siyeon’s face. “ **So tell me Soo-Min, how did you cheat death**?”

At the revelation, Sunny’s eyes shift to Siyeon, who stares in shock. Sunny’s eyes memorize Siyeon’s face, the confused tilt of her lips, the creases in her forehead, but most of all…the hope in her eyes. Turning her head away from the girl, Sunny glares at her uncle. “ **Hyun-Gi…you…why did you do all this**?”

The man frowns, eyes filling with hatred. “ **I loved your mother, but my brother** ,” he says the word with distaste, “ **took her from me. I was supposed to marry her and have a beautiful daughter, but instead…he got it all while I was an outsider looking in.** ”

Sunny’s forehead crinkles. “ **You…You-** “ Sunny fills anger flood her system. “ **You had them killed. You staged their accident.** ”

Hyun-Gi grins. “ **I did. Pretty impressive, huh**.”

Angrily, Sunny snaps back. “ **I had to listen to them die on the phone because of you. Tae and I…we lost our parents because you were jealous.** ”

Hyun-Gi shrugs. “ **I wanted a daughter like you. All those years that I had to watch you grow up, knowing I didn’t have that…Well, no matter. I’ve built this empire on the premise of killing people**.”

“ **It stops here** ,” Sunny says.

Hyun-Gi deeply laughs. “ **You think**?” He walks to Siyeon before Sunny can move. He grabs the girl’s arm and pulls her up. She tries to fight against him, but he says something to her that causes her to stop. “ **Are you willing to sacrifice her to stop me? Or will surrender in exchange for their safety? What’s your choice, Soo-Min**?”

Looking at her childhood friend, Sunny speaks before Siyeon can even look at her. “ **You should know the answer to that uncle.** ” She grabs the nearest guard, pulling the cuffs from his belt. Snapping them around her wrists, her eyes stare at Siyeon as she does so. “ **I’m sorry for you getting dragged into this, Shi. I’m sorry you had to find out who I am this way.** ” Tears prick at Sunny’s eyes. “ **I’m sorry you had to mourn.** ” The tears fall down Sunny’s cheek. “ **And I’m sorry I never told you how much I love you**.”

Siyeon chokes back a sob, tears pouring from her eyes. She’s shoved back to the floor as Hyun-Gi approaches Sunny. “ **Soo-Min!** ” She sobs, feeling her members’ arms around her. “ **I-I’ve always loved you too.** ”

Smiling, Sunny turns her tear-filled eyes to her uncle. Despite the tears, she glares at him in hatred. Just before the man gets to her, a blinding light appears between them. When it fades, Sunny stares at her father’s face. “ **You did good, Sunny. Your biggest regret…has been resolved. Although…I really wish you would’ve picked a better time**.” He turns to Hyun-Gi, who stares in shock at his brother’s face.

“Gi-Tak,” Hyun-Gi mutters. “How-“

“ **You’ve made a mess of things** ,” the Leader says softly.

“ **How-** ”

The Inbetween Leader glances over his shoulder at Sunny. “ **I will get the girls out of here. Are you in any shape to continue this fight**?”

“Of course,” Sunny replies.

The Inbetween Leader teleports to Dreamcatcher. He helps them stand before looking to Siyeon. His voice is low as he speaks to her. Sunny stares at her, seeing the recognition appear on her face before the singer looks at her. Siyeon turns her attention back to the Leader, nodding. “ **Sunny, a gift** ,” the being says, waving his hands. As if appearing out of thin air, Captain America’s shield forms between them. “ **Courtesy of Lee Siyeon**.” He glances at Siyeon, seeing her smile.

Sunny takes the shield, eyes wide with fascination and confusion. _What? How can he-Don’t question it, Soo. There are enough things happening that you should really be used to it_. The Inbetween Leader teleports the members of Dreamcatcher from the warehouse, leaving Sunny with half a dozen guards and her uncle to deal with. She turns to the guards before launching at them. The shield deflects any bullets shot at her as she moves around the room. Her body aches, but the adrenaline pushes the feeling aside as she slams the edge of the shield at the guards. Her eyes follow her uncle, watching him try to sneak away. Throwing the shield at the man, she watches him fall before the shield flies back at her. Catching the weapon, she finishes off the last guard before approaching her uncle. He faces her, back on the ground.

“ **S-Soo** ,” he tries to sound like he did before his supposed ‘death’. His palms face her. “ **We can talk about this. You’re still my niece**.”

Smirking, Soo-Min lowers her shield to her chest, putting slight pressure. She watches him struggle to breathe. “ **You know I remember you being taller** ,” she retorts, eyes glaring at him as her smirk turns to a frown. “ **As much as I want to kill you, I think you should rot away in prison, seeing everything you missed out on**.” Without letting him reply, she slams the shield against his head, knocking him out.

Taking several steps away from the man, she gasps as the burning in her shoulder. _Dammit. Forgot about that guy’s poison._ She stumbles to the warehouse door, barely keeping hold of the shield. _Gotta see her_. She shoves the door open just as her vision blurs. _Shi_. Stumbling forward, Sunny trips over her heavy feet. Arms catch her as her vision swarms.

“ **Soo-Min! Sun!** ” Siyeon shouts at her, holding her close. “ **Soo-Min, wake up**!”

In between the girl’s cries for her to open her eyes, Sunny hears her father’s voice. “Soo-Min, you did well, kid. Hyun-Gi revealed who you are, a minor loophole that you know. This life is your own to live. Enjoy what you’ve earned.”

Sirens wail in the distance, having been anonymously called by the Inbetween Leader. He disappears, assuring the girls that the police will arrest the others and get them home safely. Sunny, barely able to stand, carefully blinks her eyes open, meeting tear filled ones. Reaching up with her remaining strength, Sunny caresses Siyeon’s cheek. “ **I’m home**.”


	11. Chapter 11

After everything that happened at the warehouse, the girls were taken to the hospital to get checked out. Sunny, now Soo-Min once again, was taken as well and admitted for several wounds and a concussion. She stays in a coma for several days, putting her second life on earth past the time period she was given. Siyeon remains at her side throughout the days, whispering for the formerly dead girl to wake up. After the first day, she called Tae to let him know that Soo-Min was indeed alive and was brought back to them. Tae, skeptical at first, is told what happened by the members of Dreamcatcher. He finds himself inclined to believe their story, despite how crazy it sounds.

Files from Sunny’s research were forwarded to the police by a timed email that she set up should she fail. It revealed the dealings between her uncle and Happyface’s CEO. He was them striped of his title and another was appointed as interim CEO until another could be chosen. Dreamcatcher’s image, despite coming from the company, doesn’t suffer like Sunny silently feared they would. Instead, people praise the group for being able to come out of such an ordeal with positive attitudes and strong bonds. Despite all that, the girls wish nothing more than for Sunny to wake up.

On one of the days that Dreamcatcher is forced to attend an interview on the whole kidnapping ordeal, they find themselves wanting to get the whole event passed them. They’ve been assigned psychologists to help them with any PTSD and lingering worries, but their concern is all for whether Sunny wakes up or not. They don’t expect it to happen when they’re not there though.

The hospital room has that distinct smell and Soo-Min hates it. _This is what I woke up to? The bleachy smell of the hospital._ Grunting, the formerly dead girl sits up, noticing the various flowers, balloons, and cards in her room. She slides out of the bed, taking a moment to get her balance, before going to read the cards. They’re from Dreamcatcher and are ‘get well soon’ cards. She reads the little notes. **_Sunny, so glad we got out of there. We wouldn’t have without you! -Yoohyeon._** Sunny chuckles. **_Sunny~ I’m glad Handong stopped me from hitting you. I was so confused and scared for the others, but I’m glad everyone’s okay. Wake up soon! -Sua_** _._ She finds Siyeon’s and reads it last. **_Dear Soo-Min, it’s fine if I call you that right, uh anyway…I need you to wake up soon. I miss my best friend…and we need to talk. It’s not bad! I just…I love you, Soo. I’m sorry I never told you before_** _._

Wiping the tears in her eyes, Sunny pulls the letter and puts it to her chest. “Shi…” Nodding, Sunny looks around for her clothes, grinning when she sees a set with a small card on top. _Sunny! You better wake up soon. I’m sure you’ll wake up when no one’s here and try to leave. I know I would so here’s a change of clothes. -Tae_. Chuckling, Sunny changes into the clothes before sneaking out of her room. She makes it downstairs before someone stops her.

“ **Visiting hours are over** ,” the security guards says.

Nodding, Sunny points to the exit. “ **I fell asleep and didn’t notice the time. I swear I’m leaving now**.” The guard nods, letting her leave. _Thank god that worked._ She pulls out her phone, sending Handong a text. **_I’m awake. Please don’t tell anyone. Where are you guys_** _?_ The reply is almost immediate. **_We’re at Arirang radio_** _._ Sunny changes directions, rushing to the building. It takes a moment to get inside, but she makes it without any questioning her. _Security here sucks._ She finds the radio room and waits outside, watching the show end. Her heartrate increases in anticipation as she waits for the group to filter out of the room.

“ **That was interesting** ,” Sua says to Siyeon.

The familiar laugh of the girl reaches Sunny’s senses. She smiles at Jiu, who covers her mouth in shock, but keeps quiet. “ **Oh, come on, unnie! You’re really gonna be Pennywise for Halloween?** ”

“ **Of course! Can you imagine the fans’ reactions? They’ll be so shocked**.”

The two members hold a conversation of their own, not noticing Yoohyeon and Jiu have stopped just outside the doorway. Siyeon nudges them, confusion on her face at seeing their expressions. “ **What’s** -“ Her words stop; throat tight. “ **Soo-Min** ,” Siyeon breathes out, launching herself at the girl. “ **You’re awake!** ” She hugs Sunny as close as she can, burying her face in the girl’s shoulder.

Hugging back, Soo-Min rubs the other girl’s back. “ **I just woke up. Handong shared your location so I could come find you all**.”

“ **Handong! Why didn’t you tell us**?” Sua pouts.

“ **Sunny asked me not to say anything** ,” the Chinese girl admits.

“ **I may have seen the text** ,” Dami admits, happy to see Siyeon and Sunny reunited.

The others move in to hug Sunny, crushing Siyeon in the process. Despite the closeness, Siyeon finds herself overjoyed at how things turned out. She lost her best friend, mourned her, and gained her back. “ **I’m so glad you’re back, Soo** ,” Siyeon mutters against the girl.

“ **Me too, Shi**.”


End file.
